While Carole Ghosn draws the eyes of Western governments to her husband’s detention conditions in Japan, French national television broadcasts an interview of Carlos Ghosn that was recorded over skype just a few hours before his re-arrest.

He reiterated his call for help to the French authorities: “I appeal to the French government to defend myself, to preserve my rights as a citizen caught up in an incredible spiral abroad”. In spite of the declarations of Jean-Yves le Drian, on 6 April 2019, Carlos Ghosn did not receive any further sign of support from the French State.

In Japan, he is even being formally dismissed from Nissan’s Board of Directors at the Extraordinary General Meeting on April 8, 2019.

With Carlos Ghosn back in Kosuge, on 8 April 2019 his Japanese lawyers spoke out at the press conference their client had planned to hold and during which they showed a pre-recorded video prior to his re-arrest in which he once again reiterated his innocence and accused several Nissan bosses of disloyalty and of having organised a witch-hunt to bring him down and prevent further integration of the companies.

This assertion was coupled with the Japanese and French states’ meddling, brought to light by the publication a few days later in Japanese newspaper Yomuri Shimbun of a series of emails proving that Japan’s Economy Ministry held discussions with the French government and tried to independently create a framework in which the Japanese government could be involved in blocking a plan to merge Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA.

The documents implicate Nissan executives already widely singled out such as Hari Nada, Hiroto Saikawa and Hitoshi Kawaguchi.

A blocking situation that comes into play in April 2019 when Nissan rejects an offer from Renault to create a joint holding company holding 100% of the two carmakers. The Nikkei indicates that this project was intended to put the two manufacturers on an equal footing, whereas Renault currently controls 43.4% of Nissan’s capital and the latter holds only 15% of the French manufacturer. Tensions between the two companies have never been so high.

«  Japan’s economy ministry held discussions with the French government and tried to independently create a framework in which the Japanese government could be involved in blocking a plan to merge Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA ».

Nikkei – 18 April 2019

Legally, throughout the month, Carlos Ghosn’s police custody was extended once until 14 April and again until 22 April, despite an appeal by his lawyers to the Supreme Court and a statement about cruel and unjustified detention conditions.

It was on this date that Carlos Ghosn was indicted a fourth time by the Japanese authorities. The motive is an aggravated breach of trust.

However, on 25 April 2019, after 21 days in solitary confinement, Carlos was again released on bail amounting 500 million yen (4 million euros). Prosecutors once again appealed this decision to keep him further in detention. But the judge rejects this request and orders Carlos Ghosn’s release with an additional condition: a total ban on communicating with his wife Carole. On this occasion, Carlos Ghosn declared:

“I am grateful that bail has been granted and thankful for my family and supporters in Japan and around the world who fought for my release. No person should ever be indefinitely held in solitary confinement for the purpose of being forced into making a confession. But restricting communications and contact between my wife and me is cruel and unnecessary. We love each other very much, she answered all of the prosecutors’ questions in court, and she has done nothing wrong.

I maintain my innocence and am committed to vigorously defending myself against these meritless and unsubstantiated accusations. I hope to be given a fair trial where the truth will come to light and I will be fully vindicated.”

However, these calls from Carlos Ghosn remain a cry in the desert to the French Executive. Indeed, after a summit meeting between the presidents of the two states at the end of April 2019, AFP reports only the “sober reminder of Emmanuel Macron to Shinzo Abe on the presumption of innocence“. And this, despite a new request from Carole Ghosn on the eve of this meeting